Building structure



April 9, `1 929. F. H AULD 1,708,351

BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed March 2, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l AT'I'QRNEYS April 9, 1929.

F. H. AULD BUILDI NG STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed March 2, 1928 FIG.9

22 Flan INVEN'I'OR F/eEDfe/r/J/.Hnzn BMW@ A'I'TORNEY Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES FREDERICK H. AULD, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

BUILDING STRUCTURE.

\\ Application filed March 2, 1928. Serial No. 258,533.

I The object of my invention is to provide a building structure, preferably with a decorated surface, for use as partitions in railway cars or any other building structure in vehicles or dwellings.

It is the object of my invention to provide a very light and rigid, noiseless and easily assembled structure which will have its side walls of such character that they may be drawn taut and maintained in taut position without rattling, while at the same time obviating a heavy and rigid struct-ure which cannot be disassembled and must be built up permanently, -of such weight as to be able to sustain the e'ect of presses and the like when exterior coatings are applied to the walls of the structure.

Heretofore it has been necessary to build up a structure for Ypartitions in railway cars, for instance, where it is necessary to build the side wall supports integral with the side walls and of such heavy character that the heavy side walls and the supports therefor would accommodate the necessary pressure lateral of the structure.

This makes the structure not only prohibitively heavy but also very expensive and complicated to manufacture. When once assembled it cannot be disassembled.

It is my object to provide a structure which can be readily assembled and disassembled, which can have a veneer applied to very light and thin side walls while the side walls are in a disassembled condition,

r and then the resulting composite product can be assembled into the structure'of my invention, thus greatly reducing the Weight and reducing cost. i

My structure is adapted to a wide variety of uses only a few of which are partitions in railway cars, office partitions, furniture and the like. Where surfaces forming a part of my invention become marred or injured they can be removed without completely destroying the entire structure and a new one substituted.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 shows in section a sheet of veneer and a sheet of metal prior' to assembly.

Figure 2 shows a sheet of vencer anda sheet of metal forming the side wall of the structure of my invention in condition ready to be assembled.

Figure 3 shows'both side walls in their preliminary assembled position.

Figure 4 is a section showing the complete assembly of the structure. This is a section on the line 4 4 of Figure 6.

Figure 5 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 6 is a top plan View of a panel partially broken away to show the construction 1n section along the line 6 6 of Figure 5.

.Figure 7 is a ,section on the line 7 7 of gigure 6 but showing a modified construclon.

Figure Sis a section on the line 8 8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a section of a modified form of my lnvention.

Figure l0 is a plan view thereof.

Figure ll is an end elevation thereof.

Referring to these drawings in detail, 1 is a sheet of metal such as .0207 steel or aluminum or aluminum alloy sheet. To this 1s applied, in any desired manner, a surface coating of any character, such as a veneer 2 of wood. If this coating must be applied under pressure, heat or any other condition which would make it undesirable to apply the coating when the structure is assembled, it can be readily and cheaply placed upon the sheet 1 in any desired manner prior to assembly, which is one of the great advantages of my invention.

The ends of the metal sheet may be veneered or coated, or left uncoated. They are bent so as to form a U-shaped loop at the end designated 3, the free end of which is provided with a laterally extending fiange 4. Two adjacent sheets are positioned with respect to one another so that their flanges 4 overlap to form a U-shaped trough along the margin of the composite structure, such trough being generally designated 5.

Between these overlapping ends 4c are placed spaced supporting and spacing members which are preferably tubular, designated 6. Around the tubular members may be wrapped any sound-insulating and preferably tireproof compound, such as asbestos 7. It is desirable to have this wrapping located on the center of the tube 6 in order to form a bridge-like structure so that the side sheets can be drawn against this projecting portion of the asbestos 7 to form a noiseless and tight structure. 1

The ends of the tubes are provided with tube filler blocks 8, which project into the ends of the tubes. These iller'blocks are /io the U-shape engaged with the compression screws 9, which freely revolve against the blocks, preferably ina depression 10. i

The compression tscrews are thr aded 5 within the block 11 to pass freely th'rpugh the channel iron member 12, which is located behind the overlapping flanges 4 of the side sheets and which has its right-angle plates 13 projecting into the space 14 formed by d ends of the sheets. In order to retain the overlapping ends of the sheets on this channel iron 12, filler blocks 15, or filler strips, are located in the U-shaped depression or channel 5 and attached by 15 screws 16 through the overlapping flanges 4 to the channel iron 12.

VWhen the screws 9 are actuated the side sheets are stretched over the frame formed by the tubes 6 and tube filler blocks 8,\thus stretching the light side walls so they are held rigidly without vibration.

tlurning to the form shown in Figures7 and 8, a slight modification will be seen in that instead of using a channel member 12,

I have utilized an I-beam construction, designated 17, having forwardly extending 'flanges 17a to extend into the space 14, and rearwardly extending flanges 1\ b to embrace the sides of the tubular filler block18, which in this ease is adapted to surround the end of the tubular member or spacer 6 and is provided with outwardly extending walls 19 having depressions 20 in the center thereof for the purpose of lightening the Weight.

y lThe central wall 21 of the I-beam construction is heavy enough to support the compression screws 9. This central portion of the I-beam has connected to it the blocks 15 by the screws 16.

In the form shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11, which is an execution of the same idea, I have provided a continuous sheet which formsvboth the side walls and is designated 22, having its free ends overla ping, as in the case of the other sheets. he spacer is a tubular member 23 havin one end turning in a block 24, which has a at 'face 25 engaging with the rear surface ofthe channel iron member 12. The screws 16 attach the filler strips 15 to the channel member 12Yrrinrth'eusual manner. fyi/ff' Thevcompressioni's effected by forming -.V/fr'fone'end of the spacer 23 into a screw 26 so that it may be rotated by a head 27, or in any similar manner, in a block 28 having an arcuate face 29 fitting within the curvature of the connecting portion of the two side walls formed from a continuous sheet, des-v 5o ignated 22. This arcuate portion constitutes the edge of the structure,

It is obvious that this screw member may -be placed at the other end of the structure so that the arcuate edge may be perfectly smooth and free from any adjusting mechamy invention.

nism. The sameresult can be accoiiiplishedr; in the other forms byv making the sheet con,4 tinuous and mounting it over ablock of the proper configuration against which the space r can abut to take the thrust of the com# pression screws.

I desire to comprehend within my iiivention such modifications as may be clearly embraced Within my claims and the scope of Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a building structure, a covering means forming an inclosure, means to support said covering means, and means within the ends of the covering means to place said covering means under tension to stretch it over the supporting means.

2. In a building structure, a covering means forming an inclosure, means within said inclosure to support said covering means, means between the ends of thecovering means to place said covering means under tension to stretch it over the supporting means, and means to adjust said tension and to hold the parts in a condition of predetermined tension.

3. In combination in a building structure,

frame members, a covering means attached thereto and forming an inclosure, and means to internally expand said frame to place said covering means under tension.

4. In a building structure, the combination of a relatively thin covering means '100 forming an inclosure, a frame concealed thereby, and means for internally expanding said frame to place said covering means under tension.

5. In a building structure, a pair of spaced covering members forming an inclosure, a fr ame for supporting said covering within said covering means, said frame having portions connected one to the ,.other, means hidden thereby, means for attaching said covering Vmembers to one portion of said frame, and means of moving one portion of said frame so attached with respecttoA ani other portion offsaidffraie. V Q Inasbuilding structure, relatively thin "covering members, means to support and 8. In combina-tion, covering plates, means to support the ends thereof, means to attach the ends thereof to said support spacing means located between the ends of said covering means and their supports', means for carrying compression screws to place said covering means under tension, the ends of said compression screws being adapted to engage the ends of said spacing means.

9. In combination in a building structure, spaced covering sheets having overlapping ends, supports for sa1d ends, compression screws connected therewith, spacing members located between the ends of said covering members adapted to be engaged by said compression screws for stretching said covering members.

10. In combination, relatively thm covering sheets having U-shaped ends with inwardly disposed flanges adapted to have their adjacent ends overlapping, means for att-aching said flanges to supports extending within the overturned ends, a compression screw associated with said support and spacing member having a block in the end thereof adapted to engage with said screw.

11. In combination, relatively thin covering sheets having U-shaped ends with inwardly disposed flanges adapted to have their adjacent ends overlapping,`means for attaching said flanges to supports extending within the overturned ends, a compression screw associated with said support and spacing member having a block in the end thereof adapted to engage with said screw, and

a compression screw block carrying said screw located between said support and the ller block in the end of the spacing means.

12. In combination, relatively thin covering sheets having U-shaped ends with inwardly disposed flanges adapted to have their adjacent ends overlapping, means for attaching said flanges to supports extending within the overturned ends, a compression screw associated with said support and spacing member having a block in the end thereof adapted to engage with said screw, and a compression screw block carrying said screw located between said support and the filler block in the end of the spacing means, said spacing means being tubular.

13. In combination, a relatively thin metallic covering means, a veneer covering mounted thereon, and a frame means within said metallic covering adapted to stretch and support in tensioned condition said metallic means.

14. In combination, a pair of spaced relatively thin metallic plates having U-shaped ends with inwardly disposed angular flanges adapted to overlap their adjacent flanges, veneers mounted on said plates, a

`"spacing frame mounted within said plates,

means for joining the ends of said plates,

and means to expand said frame to maintain said plates under tension.

15. In combination, a pair of spaced relatively thin metallic plates hav-ing U-shaped ends with im 'ardly disposed angular flanges adapted to overlap their adjacent flanges,

lveneers mounted on said plates, a spacing frame mounted within said plates, means for joining the ends of said plates, means to expand said frame to maintain said plates under tension, and means to support the inner ends of said plates attached thereto cooperating with said spacing means.

t 1G. In combination, a pair of spaced relatively thinnnetallic plates having U-shaped ends with inwardly disposed angular flanges adapted to overlap their adjacent flanges, veneers mounted on said plates, a spacing frame mounted within said plates, means for joining the ends of said plates, means to expand said frame to maintain said plates under tension, means to support the inner ends of said plates attached thereto cooperating with said spacing means, and means to fill the space between the ends of said plates on the exterior thereof cooperating with said end supporting means for maintaining the ends of said plate in clamped condition to prevent the detachment during tension.

17. In combination, covering plates, means of clampmg the ends thereof in spaced overlapping relationship to form an inclosure, a supporting land tensioning frame mounted therein, and means to expand said frame against the interior of the supporting and clamping means for the ends o f the plates to place the plates under tension.

18. In combination, covering plates, means of clamping the ends thereof in spaced overlapping relationship to form an inclosure, a support-ing and tensioning frame mounted therein, means to expand said frame against the interior of the supporting and clamping means foi' the ends of the plates to place the plates under tension, and a veneer mounted on the exterior of said plates.

19. Iny a process of forming a veneered structure, applying a veneer to a relatively thin supporting member in unformed condition forming said member, supporting said member in formed position and placing said member under tension.

20. Incombination, side wall members having their ends formed in U-shape with laterally projecting, inwardly disposed overlapping flanges, au I-beam running parallel inounted in said I-beam engaging with said therefor, means to clamp said free ends to filler lblock, 'and means of retaining said said supporting means, a spacing frame 10 ends of the covering members Within said therein, and means for expanding said spac- `fI-beam. ing frame for placing said covering strip 5 2l. In combination, a continuous covering under tension.

strip adapted to form an inolosure having In testimony whereof, Iaix my signature. its free ends disposed inwardly in overlapping relationship, supporting means FREDERICK H. AULD. 

